Falling
by YoungCat
Summary: At the risk of sounding cliche, hello, my name is Mika and this is my story. The story of how my life didn't just take a turn, it back-flipped off a cliff.
1. Chapter 1

**_*OLD AND NEW READERS, PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE MOVING ON*_**

 _ **Well, it's happening, finally. The first chapter of the new and improved "Falling". If you are coming here from my old story, you will notice some differences. Let me address them before you start reading, just to help avoid confusion. 1) Mika is older! Like, a lot older! I wrote that old fic when I was 15ish, so I definitely wanted to age her up. I would be so uncomfortable if I choose to keep her as a teen, as you know the tone of the fic. 2) Mika isn't as blatantly obnoxious as she was before! My personality has changed quite a bit, so the way I see Mika(originally a version of myself) has changed as well. She's still a foul mouthed, cocky bitch, just not as annoying. 3) Mika is completely, and unambiguously black this time around, not just half like myself. 4) This chapter only hints to the Inuyasha fandom! Yes, this chapter doesn't mention our favorite leading man just yet, as I've learned my lesson. I'm pacing myself with fics, keeping them at a limit of a few thousand words per chapter so I do not feel overwhelmed or pressured when writing. Next chapter will launch almost immediately into Feudal Japan.**_

 _ **Thank you for reading through this if you did! And please follow/fav for future updates, and review if ya wanna, even though not much is happening yet.**_

It's truly amazing just how quickly life can take a turn; whether that turn be for better, or for worse, it can happen in almost an instant. I've learned this in small measures throughout said life, but only recently did I understand just how fucked it could get when you're at your peak. Being knocked into a completely different path isn't an unusual milestone for college students like myself. However, getting knocked into a completely different time? Well, I think I've got everyone else beat on that.

At the risk of sounding cliche, hello, my name is Mika and this is my story. The story of how my life didn't just take a turn, it back-flipped off a fucking cliff.

Chapter 1

The campus library was blessedly quiet for a change. The hints of approaching summer were finally starting to chase the chill from the air, and many students were preferring to take advantage of the weather rather than remain cooped up inside. For me, that meant silence, something I valued but rarely received. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sounds of daily life, but it can get overwhelming at times. Yesterday happened to be one of those times, when I had to finally admit to my coach that I was sick of volleyball; she was not happy.

What could I tell that burly, obsessively dedicated woman? That the training, matches, and games were taking up too much of my time? That I was just tired of all the events? That while being in this sport was fulfilling in a lot of ways, it didn't allow me the time to explore other parts of my life? Knowing full well that she wouldn't understand any of those reasons, seeing as she literally lived and breathed volleyball, I just kept it simple. "I don't want to do this anymore."

Remembering her usually red face becoming even redder had me wince in my seat. Remembering the confused faces of my teammates, however, just made me sigh. So, yes, the quiet library was a much needed reprieve, even though an unusually difficult paper was my reason for being there. Sighing heavily, I allowed myself to slump back in the comfortable, wooden armchair, looking around the large, empty space. A circular room, with many book shelves built into the walls, the center of this first floor saved for seating and tables. Looking up to the four other floors, visible from where I was sitting, all having secluded study rooms branched off for seating, more books, and the newest computers, I couldn't help but marvel at this cavernous library the way I have many times before.

Everything was lush, dark wood and richly colored fabric. The windows were all stained glass motifs of classical tales, the molding on the walls and doorways were intricate in detail. The university itself was very old, though the well-shaped center library had been standing the longest. I took another moment to admired its historic beauty before standing to stretch out my sore limbs. My earth shaking announcement yesterday came after a strenuous, two hour long training session(right after the end of last years official season, I might add), and my body was paying for not properly cooling down; didn't have much of a choice after practically being banished by coach Vasquez. Taking a quick scan of the room, and seeing that I was still alone, save the librarian, Mr. Peterson, who was occupied with his nap, I elegantly folded down to the floor to do some light stretching.

Usually, one wouldn't stretch while muscles weren't warmed up, but there had been a particular ache at my groin that I knew wouldn't fade for a while. My mind wandered as I fell into the stretch routine I had been doing for years. So many thoughts were swirling through my head, but mainly two events were leaving a pit in my stomach. One, I would have to tell my mother about dropping yet another extra curricular(The 3rd this semester.). She was not going to be happy, and I couldn't stop the mild recoil in my posture when her stern, disappointed face popped into my head. Two, an important annual fraternity ball was tomorrow, and in the two weeks since its announcement, no one asked me to go. I pouted slightly at remembering all of the shifty eyes, and abrupt turns by the boys I approached. I knew that I was fairly admired in the school, and the fact that literally no guy even tried asking, and seemed to go out of their way to avoid me was very weird.

Sighing into my butterfly stretch, I let that vain little thought drift away to focus on the aches and pains in my body. Those I could rely on at least; familiar, satisfying aches. However those aches also had the faces of my teammates flashing to life, and I groaned. Quitting volleyball didn't necessarily mean I was dropping my interests in sports all together, my inner voice whined. "Why can't I just not like things anymore after a time, that's normal", I huffed under my breath, sitting abruptly and jumping onto my feet from where I sat. My heavy braids swung around to slap my stomach, and I growled in frustration. Throwing them back over my shoulder, I decided three things then and there.

I was going to that ball, date or no date.

I was taking down these braids tonight, sleep be damned.

I was not going to tell my mother about volleyball until after the ball.

Stretching a bit, hands raised, I felt a few satisfying cracks, and turned to gather my things. This paper was going nowhere, and I had a head full of hair to take care of before the ball the next night. I hurried out of the quiet library, and headed into the busy campus courtyard. The trees were flowering, the grass was green, the sky clear, and the air was still a touch cool, but not too chilly. The day was lovely, and I couldn't help but inhale deeply as I walked briskly towards the dormitory buildings. Waving every now and again to classmates and friends, my mood lifted slightly with the gorgeous weather.

Passing the security guard at the entrance of the old dorm house, and bypassing the sketchy elevator in favor of the stairs, the past few days tensions were finally starting to melt from my shoulders; that is, until I felt my phone vibrate in my back pocket. Card-key in hand, I whipped out the iPhone to see who it was, and felt my stomach drop as I read "Mama Bear" on the screen. Well fuck, that's just my luck. Taking a steadying breath, I clicked answer, and prepared for the worst.

"Hey mama," I chirped happily, using my best bullshit tone to avoid giving her any suspicions to my actual mood. Without missing a beat, my mother answered, her familiar Southern drawl both comforting and intimidating.

"Hey baby, how you doin? You get my package?" I had to force myself to not drop to the ground in relief; she didn't know yet.

"Uh, no m'am, just got finished studying. At my dorm door now." I fumbled with my card-key, "But I haven't checked my mail in a while, I'll head down now." I heard laughter in the background, and recognized the voice.

"Alright baby, make sure you go quick, I don't want you losin what I sent." Cue the mental eye-roll, because my mother would have some how sensed it if I actually rolled my eyes. "Your auntie Mel says 'hi'," her voice went soft with fondness, and I couldn't help but giggle. "Auntie" Mel stumbled her way into my mothers life five years after my fathers sudden death, and this year would make 5 years of her staying put since. I was always grateful to the tall woman for pulling my mother out of her seemingly endless grief.

"Tell her I said 'hi' too, and don't worry, I won't let them lose it." I chuckled lightly, jumping down the stairs and landing with a air of grace. The mail room for my dorm was in the basement, so I had the habit of avoiding it. Despite the schools best efforts to make it warmer, more inviting, it was still just some creepy basement with a miserable clerk. My mother chattered away about her day at the dance studio as I walked down the darkened hall of the basement. Her voice like a light in the damp shadowy corners, allowing me to push fear aside and focus on my destination. I managed a laugh when she ranted about a rich parent insisting on his daughters talent in ballet, and my mothers response on how "a goose cannot become a swan".

The mail room was behind a heavy steel door, and it gave an even stronger sense of malevolence to the space. But I hurriedly pushed forward into the room, greeting the clerk behind the small desk quietly, and practically skipped to my mail cubby. "Alright, I'm about to check," I muttered uselessly, as my mother kept chattering away, now with steady input from Mel. Unlocking the little door of cubby, a small sneer graced my features at the absolute inane amount of junk mail stuffed inside. What a waste of paper, I grumbled into the phone, making my mother chuckle. A small key was placed on a student coupon booklet, and I took it in hand before shoving the papers into my bag, and re-locking the locker.

The one sided conversation between my mother and I had turned into me listening to her and Mel debating about something, and I couldn't help my smile, even when the frumpy clerk glared at me as I approached her desk. "Can I help you," she was either just getting over a cold, or had the most annoying voice in the world, but either way, the older woman looked like she'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Uh, I received a package?" I mumbled, handing her the key, and trying to ignore her gnarled finger nails, "for Mika Stark, locker 48." For a few uncomfortable moments, all the woman did was give me a dead eyed stare, and I started to worry that she was dead on her feet. Yelping slightly as she suddenly spun and rushed to one of the giant, locked cabinets meant for packages, I heard my mother worriedly ask what was wrong. However, before I could answer, the woman shoved a medium sized box into my arms. "Hold on mom," I balanced the box to hold my phone with my shoulder, and made my way to the door. "Uh, I'm sorry, could you...?" I looked back at the woman, and felt my blood freeze when I saw her face. "N-never mind!"

Shoving my phone into my pocket, I practically tore the door open and ran down the hall. What the hell was that? I didn't stop running until I was back at my dorm door, panting and gasping, out of breath and full of an odd sense of dread. Clicking the digital lock with my key, and tossed the box onto my bed and flopped into my desk chair. I almost forgot I had been on the phone before it vibrated again, nearly shooting out of my skin at the feeling. "Mama?"

"Honey, did we lose connection? Are you alright?" the usually stern, confident woman sounded worried, and I felt terrible.

"Yes, mama. I just, I thought I saw something in the basement, and scared myself a little." I gave my best reassuring chuckle, but it fell flat. When I turned and saw that mail clerks face, it was... not natural. When I looked back, she looked almost demonic. It could have been a trick of the light, but I swore her face has been warped, her teeth sharp, and her eye pitch black. I shook my head, trying to dispel the image as my mother replied.

"Oh honey, don't scare me like that." I heard May comment in the background as I sat on the bed next to the package. "Now, open it! I got you some of the things you said you been needing." I smiled as I turned my phone to speaker, grabbed the desk scissors and sliced into the pretty rainbow tape I had only just noticed. "While I still don't understand why you insist on usin them, I commissioned a friend of mine to make you some of those cloth pads you like."

As she spoke, I removed the pretty packing paper, and saw the adorable menstrual items. "Oh wow, these are so much cuter than the ones I tried to make," she agreed and laughed outright, probably recalling me at 15, proudly holding up the first pad I tried to sew myself. My hands in shambles as I had no idea how to stitch fabric together. "Jeez mom, how many did you ask her to make," I counted 30, which was more than I needed, and more than I currently had.

"Just say thank you, and look at the rest," she huffed, but sounded pleased. And look I did, pulling out two identical sketch books(my favorite brand), a fresh pack of artist pencils, a new Lunette cup, a gorgeous pair of wooden combs(one wide-tooth, one rat tail), and finally a small, wooden box. Curious, I picked the lovely little thing up, smoothing my palm over the wood. Flower petals of some sort were expertly carved into its top and sides, with a long oval, branded seal in the middle of the lid; the characters in the oval appeared to be Japanese, but I wasn't sure. Along its seam, a white paper seemed to have the box tapped shut. More characters met my eyes, thought they looked different from the branded seal. "What's the little box?" I asked, eyes still affixed to the beautiful, but old looking wood.

"Well, funny story." mother sounded off, voice muffled over the speaker. "Mel and I had been goin through your dads old storage shed," the mention of my father finally had my attention, and I placed the phone back to my ear, reclined onto my pillows, and kept the box in hand. "You know how your father was, a little clutter bug. Keeping everythin given to him on his travels, whether it was garbage or not." She huffed, and I smiled. My father did keep almost everything when he was alive. I still remember right after his funeral, discovering a box of every single drawing I had ever given to him hidden in his closet. I cried over the well filed, laminated pieces for over an hour. All of them dated and timed, with little notes on the empty spaces detailing how I presented them to him, and what story was behind each drawing.

My heart felt heavy at the thought of my father, but I kept my composure as my mother continued. "I thought I'd be able to throw some of that shit away, but I didn't have the heart," Mel laughed loudly in the background, proving that my mother did in fact have the heart to throw away the junk in the storage container, she just didn't have the time. "So, we just went through most of it to find something of value. That's when I found that lil wooden box," my eyes refocused on the cube in my hand, "inside another box that had your name on it. I'm assuming he wanted to give it to you, so I sent it." I could have laughed, my mother was so practical. It could have been a hidden vial of some ancient disease, but if it had your name on it, it was yours.

"Was there anything else for me?" I swung my legs over the side of my bed, placing the box on my nightstand, and standing to gather my combs.

"No, just that. Now open it up, and tell me what it is!" as she finished, I heard a clanging crash, followed by Mel's howling laughter. "Shit, Mel! Get the towels! I gotta go, baby. That damn cat of yours just knocked down my stock pot!" helpless laughter escaped me to match Mel's, and I tried to choke out my "I love you and good bye"s to my cursing mother. Lucy was always causing trouble, even when I happen to be around. I checked my clock; yep, 5:30pm here meant noon back in Hawaii, and I was sure she forgot to feed my little devil on time. Another cackle filled my room as I plopped into my seat to start taking down my braids.

Playing music on my phone, I began the finger cramping business of unraveling my hair, making use of the finer-tooth comb my mother sent me. My mind wandered as my hands worked, but my eyes kept drifting back to the box. Finally, after taking down half a headful of braids, I gave in and snatched it up from the desk top. I wasn't sure why I felt so reluctant to open it, though, I did know that part of it was because my father really did keep anything people gave to him while he was still a travel photographer. This little box could hold something dangerous for all I knew, only addressed to me because it was pretty, and he knew I enjoyed pretty things.

Reaching over to my bed for the scissors, I ran my thumb across the paper sealing the box shut, having a mental argument with whether or not I should open it. Eventually, curiosity won over caution, and I sliced it quickly. As I ran the blade along the edge, a tingle ran up my spine. I flicked my wrist to cut the last side, when suddenly the box pulsed strongly in my hand. Startled, I dropped it and jumped from my chair, eyes zeroed in to where it fell. "You're going crazy, Mika," I muttered, trying to convince myself that whatever the hell just happened was in my head.

Another pulse burst from the box, stronger this time, and shimmering pink light escaped the sliced edges of the box. The glow hit my body like a wave, solid on impact, knocking me to the floor. A gasp escaped me as I sat back up to stare at the box again, mind yelling for my to run, but my body staying glued to the spot. My body was painfully tense, waiting for the next weird fucking thing to happen, when the someone knocked on my door. I shrieked before slapping a hand over my mouth, closing my eyes, and forcing myself to breathe. Calm down, calm down, get up and check to see who it is. Stop acting like an idiot.

At the second set of knocks, I stood up, reluctantly toed the box under the bed, and quickly twisted my half-done hair into a low bun. "Who is it," I called out, hand and ear pressed to the door. A masculine voice answered from the other side, and the whole day was swept from my mind. I coolly opened the door, forcing myself not to tear it from the hinges, not wanting to humiliate myself in front of my guest. Leaning in the doorway in all his glory, the golden boy of the university, and the leader of the fraternity hosting tomorrows ball: Sky fucking Peterson.

I took in his drop dead gorgeous face; sport tanned skin, bright green eyes, and an incredible smile. Jeez, this guy oozed charm and sex, and I could feel myself leaning in to get a better whiff of his spicy cologne. Adorned in a tight fraternity sweatshirt(hello muscles), and equally tight basketball shorts(helloooo bulge), I couldn't help but openly ogle the football player as he watched with a cocky grin. I knew he was checking me out as well, I was an equally impressive athlete with an equally attractive physique. My tight, dark blue calf-length leggings and matching, long-sleeved rash-guard did nothing to hide the body underneath, and he made that obvious.

For those few passing moments, we were just two strong, lusty magnets, drawn to each other before an actual conversation took place. After another breath, I managed to pull back and a slow, sultry smile, cocking my hip and head in the same fluid movement. "How can I help you, Mr. Peterson?" My voice had dropped a pitch, going from standard alto to sex kitten husky. The tall frat boy's grin turned into a full blown smirk, and I felt my heart flutter at his filthy expression. I then realized why all of his fraternity brothers had been avoiding me and why none of them asked me to the ball; Sky called dibs. Would've been nice to know at the beginning so we could have coordinated our outfits, but I definitely was not complaining.

"Wanted to drop by to give you this," he flicked his wrist out from his crossed arms to present me with the invitation I had been waiting for. "Didn't want you worrying about not having a date, I'm taking you." Whew, the cockiness would probably turn off most, but I enjoyed it. It was annoying, but sexy, and the air-headed side of my mind was swooning.

I took the invitation, grazing his rough hands as my fingers gripped the card, and flicked my eyes to gaze into his. "Of course," I murmured, low, sweet and full of promise. His eyes hooded then, smile dropping slightly to slick his tongue over his teeth absentmindedly. "What color dress should I wear?" I asked, snapping him out of the trance, and smirking when he had to blink the lust from his eyes.

"Black, keep it tight." I giggled as he popped his hip off the doors frame, uncrossing his arms, "meet me in the parking lot at 9 tomorrow night." My curiosity peaked, and he explained, "This year we're hosting the ball at a nightclub. My father owns it, maybe I'll give you a personal tour." He grinned again, eyebrows raised suggestively, causing another burst of girlish giggles. "Don't be late," winking, the sexy jock sauntered down the hall, and I watched every second of it.

"Wow, he has a great ass," a sigh escaped me, and I leaned on my now closed door. "Okay, now I definitely need to prep." And with the days oddities slipping from my mind, I walked to my wardrobe to shake out the tight, black velvet, thin-strapped bodycon dress I had purchased a week ago. Its hem was just below mid thigh, with a sexy slit to run up the leg. "'Keep it tight", right?" I smirked, turn to lay the dress on my bed next to the pile of gifts from my mother. "Hm, I'm gonna have to wash these soon." My eyes scanned the room from a place to put the things, and landed on my duffel bag. I figured after a weekend of getting absolutely slammed(in every meaning of the word), I could stop by the campus laundromat to wash the pads.

Shaking the bag, I lazily swiped everything inside before prepping for my weekend fun. All the while, the box sat silent and forgotten under the bed.

SMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSM

The next night had finally arrived. My hair was braided in two thick plaits, their length falling to my hips, little gold hair jewelry placed attractively throughout. I admired my reflection, running my hands up the velvet that clung to my curves. My golden brown skin glowed from a vigorous scrub down that morning, and a very generous amount of shea butter(which made it's home in the overnight duffel). I kept my makeup very light-mainly focused on trying to control my ridiculously thick brows-, though my face remained bare, not wanting to cover my beauty marks or natural shine; no mascara, as I was allergic.

I had attempted to struggle my way into heels, failing miserably at walking more than two steps, and opting for a pair of matching velvet skate shoes. "Not too bad," my voice was light as I applied a clear gloss to my full lips, giving myself one last, long look in the mirror. I took a full step back, arms crossing, and went over my mental checklist for the next few nights. Sure that I had everything I'd need, I picked up my earrings, only to curse under my breath as one slipped from my well moisturized hands. "Damn, where did you go?" my eyes searched the tiles and little throw rug, and saw it by the bed.

Annoyed and sighing, I bent to pick the little gold moon, only to freeze as the previous afternoons events came rushing back. The box, shit how did I forget about it? It sat on its side, just under the bed, quiet and inconspicuous, but I wasn't about to be fooled. Eyes squinting with suspicion, I rallied the courage to reach out for the box. I couldn't help the flinched as my fingers grazed the wood, expecting it to explode, and a sigh of relief left me when nothing happened. Standing with the box in hand, I took a step back to fall into my chair.

"What are you, hm? Some sort of magic trick thing?" of course, it did not answer my question, and a self-deprecating laugh escaped me. "Okay, I'm not about to be afraid of a fucking piece of wood," and with that false bravado, I flipped the lid open. Only to have my jaw drop at the sight of what was inside. It was... a necklace? A rope of moonstone, a silver clasp, and the jewel; I've never seen anything like it. The air around the pink gem seemed to shimmer, the inner light of it throwing a pink hue across my skin.

A perfectly smooth sphere, no cracks or blemishes in sight. Where did my father get this from? I thought to myself, It's obviously very valuable. Carefully taking the moonstone lined chain in hand, my eyes stayed on the soft pink stone as I stood and walked to my mirror. My hands shook as I unclasped the necklace, maneuvering it under my braids, and letting it rest on my chest just above my breasts. "Wow," I murmured dreamily. My posture and mood were completely relaxed, not changing even as the gem released a gentle, humming pulse. Having the gem around my neck felt... right.

I could see the rosy glow reflect from my whiskey colored eyes, and all I could do was smile. This necklace was beautiful; thanks, Daddy! The spell was broken when my phone went off with a text alert, and I suddenly remembered that I should have been walking to meet with Sky a while ago. Jumping into action, I grabbed my duffel and purse, and bolted out the door. The jewel tapped lightly against my skin as I lightly jogged to the parking lot, once again quiet and inconspicuous.

 ** _Thank you for reading the first chapter! I am going to be updating once a week, so please hit follow if you'd like to read more!_**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The cold air of night hit my exposed skin as I burst through the door, and past the guard. I knew the campus parking lot was 5 minute walk from my dorm house, but kept a brisk pace to shorten the journey. The black duffel was heavy on my shoulder, and I had to admit that I had been a _tad_ overzealous with packing. However, all concern drifted away as Sky's gorgeous, vintage, red corvette came into view, with the equally gorgeous owner sitting in the drivers seat. "Hey, Sky." I purred, placing my bag into the exposed back seats. I paused slightly when the boy rolled his eyes, face annoyed.

"Took you long enough," he grumbled, letting the vehicle roar to life. A little embarrassed, I slid into the passenger seat quietly, avoiding eye contact with the jock. Before I could put on my seat belt, Sky tore out of the parking lot, startling a yelp from me as I went crashing into the car door. "Whoops, sorry about that babe," he crooned over the loud engine, not sounding the least bit sorry. I murmured that it was alright, and held my arms as I watched the street lights blur past, thankful that I didn't wear my hair loose for the ball.

As we got to the main road, Sky threw his warm, muscular arm around my shoulders(thank god, I was fucking freezing), and my spirits lifted. I leaned my head onto his broad shoulder, maneuvering myself around the gearshift, hand placed on his thigh. _Oh, he likes that alright_ , I thought amused as I watched his legs spread at my touch. Despite the rocky start, I was determined to milk this weekend(and this man) for everything it offered. If Sky retained the ability to walk after our time together, it would be considered a failure.

We arrived at the nightclub not too long after, the street packed with college students and beautiful cars; I was most likely the only one going to the ball who had to work to get into our school, the vehicles and designer clothing indicated as much. The corvette pulled sharply into the brightly lit alleyway next to the nightclub, a pair of well dressed valet attendants stumbling over themselves to take the keys from Sky. As one opened my door, I tried taking the duffel before being lightly slapped on the ass. "Don't worry about that, babe." His breath was hot at my neck, his hard body at my back, with a hand at my elbow. "Take this to my VIP room," he ordered smugly, making me giggle, before taking my hand to walk to the covered entrance.

The line to enter was long, with beautiful young adults shivering from the nights chill. Sky sauntered up to the front of the line like he owned the place(I guess he will eventually), not stopping to greet the three massive bouncers hastily rushing to unclip the velvet rope to allow us in. The tall, darkly tinted glass revolving doors were framed by gaudy marble columns and heavy, red velvet drapes. We passed through quickly to escape the cold

"Where is everyone?" I said quietly, confused to see no one in the large, tackily decorated lobby(More drapes and marble columns?). My voice echoed eerily throughout the space, causing me to shiver and push deeper into Sky's side. The space was filled with the color red, deep and bloody. The rigid looking sofas were red leather, the small tables a deep red wood, the tiled flooring was red, the walls, the ceilings, the front desk, almost _everything_ was _red_. **_Kind of creepy_** , my inner voice chimed. The oppressive amount of blood red paired with the emptiness was starting to make me anxious.

"Party doesn't start till 10, babe. It's only 9:30." Sky chuckled, eyes glued to his phone during my uneasy appraisal of the room. "Marcus just texted me," his eyes slid to my face as he pocketed his phone, "Catering finished setting up, the bar is ready, and everything is set." I smiled, it was nice seeing him genuinely excited about something considering how cold his personality was.

"That's great," I chimed, quietly wondering if he would mind me eating early. "So, the party's happening _here_?" I cast another tense glance across the unsettling room, jumping in surprised when Sky let out a burst of mocking laughter.

"Uh, _no_." he pulled me to a large pair of elevators. "The club is underground, the rest of the building functions as a hotel." I clicked the down button as he once again pulled out his phone. "Who holds a _ball_ in a _lobby_?" he said low and distracted, laughter touching his voice as he scrolled his phone. With my arm now free from his, I suddenly felt a wave of apprehension hit my back. Feeling eyes on me, I nervously looked over my shoulder to see if we were still alone. The dark red of the room had to have been playing with the shadows. I swore in that one corner there was... my eyes squinted to identify the shape, still, hunched, and dark.

 ***DING*** "Shit!" I swirled around, hand grasping my chest and necklace as the elevator doors slide open.

"Whew, jumpy?" Sky chuckled, pulling me in by the bicep. I eagerly stepped in, wanting to get away from whatever the hell that room was making me feel. I turned to face the doors, and felt myself freeze. In the corner was a lamp: a brightly lit lamp. My eyes rapidly searched the room as the doors closed, and I couldn't help stepping back as the opening got smaller and smaller. My heart raced as the irrational part of my mind waited for that terrifying face I had seen the day before to pop up suddenly. "Yo, what's you're deal? You're not high, are you?"

The host of tonight's party did not sound the least bit concerned, and I looked over to him to see that he was not even looking at me. "N-no. I just," how would I explain my actions? _Oh, sorry Sky! I saw a fucking demon in the mail-room, and I think maybe she followed me here? So no prob babe, let's dance!_ "I've just had a couple of rough days, is all. I have a paper riding my ass, so I'm still a bit jittery on caffeine." I let out a nervous chuckle, to which he did nothing but hum distractedly in response. Inhaling shakily, I did my best to exhale as quietly as possible.

For all my height and strength, I felt very small next to Sky in that elevator. _ **What is wrong with you, you're supposed to be seducing him!**_ my inner voice screamed. But seduction was the last thing on my mind. I could feel myself beginning to panic. How long was this fucking elevator ride going to last? _Fuck, I'm going to have a panic attack, no, no, no_.

Warmth touched my chest, startling me into focusing: the gemstone. My hands were shaking as I cupped them around the pink sphere, but it somehow helped. I could feel the anxiety quickly seeping away, leaving calm and security in its place. My mind cleared, and for a moment I felt as though I was floating, my vision pinpointed on the softly glowing jewel. And then the doors opened, and I dropped back to Earth as loud pop music blared through. Blinking, my head raised as Sky walked out the elevator. "Oh," timidly I stepped out, scanning my surroundings. "This is _much_ better than the lobby." I said in a normal volume, yet the music drowned me out.

The modernized nightclub felt much differently than the first room. Everything was sleek and clean, black, deep blue, and silver ran through the room. The dance floor was lit from below in a gradient of blue LED tiles, lasers from above shot patterned light across the walls. I quickened my pace to follow my date to the very well stocked bar, in awe at the sight of the beautiful, expensive bottles stocked along the stone shelving behind the bar-top. I tried catching the shouted conversation between Sky and the bartender without looking obvious, but took a seat on one of the comfortable stools when I realized it was impossible with the music still booming

I allowed myself to inspect the room further, leaning on the edge of the granite bar-top, letting the dance music flow through me. There were three clear exits, and I was curious to how many sets of stairs they held since the ride down seemed to take forever. Other than a scattering of tasteful tables, chairs, and a few benches, there were also little privacy spaces. Set one level above the main floor-which was set one level above the dance floor-, shimmery blue fabric falling from the ceiling to the floor, creating an elegant looking tent. Curious, I strolled over and up the stone stairs to take a peek behind one of the curtains.

A small, bed-like couch, two end tables with champagne ice buckets and glasses, and lots of throw pillows, all shades of grey and blue; cozy. As I was bent at the waist to get a better look, a strong pair of hands grabbed at my hips and pushed me into the space. I gasped and spun, smiling in relief when I saw that it was Sky. Oh, the look that boy was throwing my way was absolutely _deviant_. I mentally calculated how much time it would take to get those glorious hands up my skirt before the party started, but the fun was cut short when a boy I recognized to be Marcus tapped timidly on Sky's shoulder.

The taller of the two rolled his eyes in annoyance, obviously just wanting to undress me, but his expression changed into one of excitement as the other yelled something into his ear. Indicating I should follow, the two of them head back down the stairs in the direction of one of the stair exits. My guess was that the elevator was for more exclusive club goers, and the stairs were saved for everyone else. I received my answer when a steady stream of college students, many of who I recognized, rushed eagerly out the door. Taking my place as the hosts arm candy for the night, I prepared myself to be dragged around from person to person as my date rubbed elbows with the children of The Elite.

I wasn't oblivious to what was going on, I knew Sky was using me to score "diversity" points with potential future, financial sponsors, but I had an agenda of my own. So we both smiled happily, playing the part of the young, gorgeous couple from opposite sides of society. Him a young, wealthy athlete with a family name you could trace back to the original colonies; the definition of Old Money. Me a young woman from Hawaii, a mother from Georgia, and a father from New York, neither of them ever wealthy. The pretty story of success and perseverance through sacrifice and hard work; _barf_. An hour into the party, and I was grateful for my choice in footwear; Sky was not giving me any breaks.

Eventually I politely excused myself before heading in the direction of the restroom. It was surprisingly empty, with the music muffled, and I all but collapsed on the comfortable bench near the door. It was a nice bathroom, but I had been too tired to appreciate its simple elegance. "Ugh, my feet." You'd think I'd be used to standing for long periods of time by now, but these shoes were not good for my high arches. I was tempted to toe them off and stick them under some hot water in the sink, but startled when a crash came from the stalls. "H-hello?" I voiced, but no one answered. "Yeah, nope, not doing this." I muttered, jumping from the chair, and bolting to the door, not turning when I heard one of the doors slam open followed by the unsettling fast clicking of heels.

I kept my speedy pace until I zeroed in on Sky talking to Marcus at the bar, not daring to look back in fear of what I'd see. Setting my features to as normal as I could, I hooked my arm into his and gave him a beaming smile. _That was quick_ , he mouthed through the music.

 _Just needed to sit for a bit_ , I mouthed back. He smirked at that, before turning back to Marcus. Fortunately, it seemed as though Sky was done schmoozing with the blue blood brats in the club, so I took a seat at the bar before casting an inconspicuous glance around the room. I relaxed the longer I looked, not seeing any creepy, frumpy demon mail clerks, but then... there she was.

My body was completely frozen. My pits stung with fear-sweat, my ears drowning out all of the music as blood rushed through them, my eyes wide and unblinking. She stood at the opposite side of the club in a darkened corner, but I knew it was her. The passing lights cast a sickening gleam off of her giant, open eyes. Her skin looked sallow and loose, her hair was a mess. She was hunched, and looked like she was breathing heavily. I slowly reached over to Sky, not taking my eyes off of the clerk. When I felt him turn to look at me, I pointed at her, still staring, not wanting her to disappear from my sight.

For a moment, it felt like he was going to pull away annoyed, but then he froze; he saw her, I just knew it. He _had_ to have seen her, I'm _not_ fucking crazy. I kept staring, my eyes starting to sting and tear up, but I couldn't even blink, not with her looking directly at me. Wait, no, she wasn't looking at my face. Squinting slightly, I realized she was looking at my... chest? No, not my chest, my... The hand pointing came back to slap at my chest, squeezing the jewel protectively. It pulsed comfortingly in my fingers, warm and smooth and alive with energy. Now the clerks eyes _did_ snap up to mine, and I felt myself being lifted by the arms off of the stool.

Startled, I saw Sky holding me protectively, ushering me to one of the doors. I tried looking over my shoulder to keep my eyes on the terrifying woman, but all I could see was a large group of security headed in the direction she was in. When we reached the door, Sky slammed in behind him and typed in some code before cursing. "What the **_fuck_** , Mika?" He swung around to face me, his face full of rage. I was confused, my face showed it.

"What?" I said dumbly, no clue as to why he was angry with me. It's that freaky woman he should be mad at!

"Who the _fuck_ was that? She knew _you_!" He spat out accusingly, taking me back the arm to drag me down the well lit concrete hall.

"I'm sure she knows a lot of fucking students!" I sputtered out angrily, "She's the fucking mail clerk in _my_ _ **dorm**_!" The rest of the short walk was in silence until we came to another door. "Where are we," I pouted, angry and tired.

"This is my VIP room," his voice was stern and quiet, it was the first time I've ever heard him so serious. "You're going to stay in here until we flush out that weird bitch." He growled, slamming in another code and wrenching open the heavy door.

"W-what, you're not stayin' with me?" I asked dismayed, my eyes taking in the new space quickly before returning to the fuming blond. " **Sky**!" I shouted, watching him tear through the drawers of an expensive looking desk. Dismissing my concern with a grunt, he continued looking until pausing and carefully bringing out a metal lock-box.

"Look, here. That bitch looked crazy, and bolted when I called the security team, so I'm giving you this until I get back." He motioned me over to the box on the desk, flicking a small key from his pocket before handing it to me. Eyeing him warily, I grabbed the small key, and unlocked the box before taking an immediate step backwards.

"Sky, this is a fucking gun," My eyes were wide on the weapon, heart pounding through my chest. "I can't use this, are you crazy?" I turned to him, expression fearful.

"And you won't have to if we can get that creepy fuck outta my club, Mika." He placed the pistol in my hand, the weight felt heavy and wrong. "But look, last thing I need is my girlfriend getting hurt in my dads hotel, okay?" He sounded slightly sincere, but I knew he was mostly just trying to calm me down; it worked a tiny bit.

" _Girlfriend_?" my tone was dry despite how nauseated I felt, brow lifted. He chuckled, anger leaving him at the sound. Gently he palmed my cheek, and pulled me in for a quick kiss; I felt nothing. And with that, he turned to leave.

"Do not open this door, okay? No matter what you hear. So unless it's me or one of my staff, you _shoot_." I leveled him with a stunned expression as he slammed the door shut, leaving me before I could speak, alone in the quiet room. I held my arms tightly, suddenly conscious on how little I was wearing.

"Wait, VIP..." I took a better look at the space, remembering Sky ordering the valet to place my things into his "VIP room". Finally, I see my duffel sitting on a clue couch, and pounced. I tore through the items to look for my phone, sighing in relief when my fingers bumped the familiar shape. "Oh no," no signal. Of course, I was underground, _duh_. "Okay, it's okay." I ran my hands anxiously over my braids, twirling the ends around my fingers to distract myself. "I'm gonna be okay. That weird, fucking clerk is probably just some stalker." **_Yeah right, you're delusional_** , my inner voice snarked. What, is she stalking you in full horror movie makeup? "Ugh," I stood to pace.

This is ridiculous, but my eyes still wandered to the pistol abandoned on the desk. My hands fluttered to the gem, and I managed to breath deeply enough to settle my thoughts. "Okay, worst case scenarios, I have to shoot someone. Or, even worse, I end up getting _kill_ -", I couldn't finish the sentence, afraid I'd speak it into existence. I gripped the warm jewel tighter, willing myself to be calm. Instead, I tore off my dress, changed into a long sleeved top and running leggings, shoved my dress in my bag, before throwing it over my shoulder. There was only one way in and out of the room, and there was no fucking way that I was going to sit here pretty, like a fish in a barrel. "I'm getting out of here," I muttered stubbornly, fear disguising itself as bullishness.

" _Fuck_ Sky, _fuck_ this party, and _fuck_ whoever that _fucking_ clerk is." my hand stilled at the doors handle, hovering but not touching. Slowly, I glanced over my shoulder to the pistol, chewing my bottom lip in though. "Damn it," I growled, rushing over to gingerly place the gun in the side pocket of the duffel, keeping it in hand in case I have to pull it out suddenly.

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I had made it to a set of exist stairs without being stopped. "How many stairwells does this place have, for Christ's sake?" I griped. There had been no security in sight, I guessed they assumed the mail-woman left the basement level. I knew she was still around, though. I could feel it in the air, unsure how, but it was there, lingering like the scent left by mopped up vomit. I cautiously cracked open the door, sighing heavily in relief that it was brightly lit, and looked to not be too high up. "I'm getting out of here," and I began bounding up three steps at a time, eager to leave this bizarre, terrifying night behind me.

Halfway up, I heard a crash from above, and froze. My mouth was agape, and eyes blown wide as I stayed stone still to listen to my surroundings. I shrieked when another crash came, this time from below me; I began to run. I clambered up the steps, sobbing in fear as the lights below began to black out, one level at a time with increased speed. Fear overtook logic, I could barely breathe. I was nearly to the top, I could see the blacked level at the top, but the adrenaline rush prevented me from questioning why the lights were out. "I-I'm almost there," I wheezed, foot landing on the flat surface of the last level. But then she was there.

I screamed, louder than before. She couldn't be human, she couldn't be. Her back was hunched, like it was broken. Her gaping maw of teeth, and giant bug eyes, were burned into my brain. My hands gripped by bag in a knuckled white grip, and I did something without thinking: I jumped.

I tossed myself over the railing, anything to get away from that... demon. An unearthly roar sounded above me, but faded away. I'm fainting, I though dazed, limbs limp and hair drifting. But...what? Blue light and black void, and... stars? I blinked in realization, turning my head to look around me in confusion. "This-this isn't the stairwell?" my voice echoed as I remained float-falling through this odd place. "Am I dead?" I saw a light, a pinpoint of light, "Oh god, I'm dead." panic filled my heart as the light got closer and closer, and I fell faster and faster. My eyes squeezed shut, I am so not ready to deal with the afterlife.

Roaring surrounded me and I felt as though I had just been dropped from an airplane. I screamed as wind ripped at my hair and clothes, forcing my eyes open, only to force them shut again to protect them from the wind. " **WHAT THE FUCK**?" _Oh no, oh shit, what the fuck._ _Those were definitely trees, it's night time, but I know what fucking_ **trees** _look like. Am I_ falling _to the ground? How the_ fuck? _What the_ **FUCK**? I clung onto my bag like a lifesaver, desperately trying to rationalize the situation in my mind; it wasn't working. _Okay, upside, not gonna get murdered by some fucking monster,_ my mind babbled manically, _bad news,_ " **I'M GOING TO FUCKIN DI-** _oof_!" my body hit something... soft. The wind was knocked from me, but I instinctively gripped whatever the hell it was with all my strength; I kept my eyes closed out of fear.

 _Okay, Okay, this is okay. I'm not falling anymore, this is okay. This is_ better. I was useless _._ Whatever I landed on was unnaturally scalding, the fingers tangled in the soft whatever starting to burn, but my grip remain steadfast. The shifting beneath my body reminded me of the flexing muscles of a horse, though much, much larger. My brain, however, seemed intent on completely ignoring the possibility of this being some large, furry, _flying_ animal. In fact, my mind was perfectly content on avoiding anything and everything other than keeping still and breathing. I wasn't about to argue with my subconscious, it did was it could to keep my pathetic meat body from breaking down from stress. If my brain was telling me that I wasn't holding onto anything, I'm gonna believe her.

It seemed like forever had passed before a sudden jolted landing loosened my grip, and threw me off to the ground with a sickening *THWACK*. My back and head smacked onto the solid ground, my eyes flying open from impact only to see bursts of stars. My mouth opened to gasp for air, lungs full of pain, but I breathed through it, used to injuries like this over my many years in full impact sports. I heard a quiet voice then, and my head turned painfully in its direction. "W-what?" if it weren't for the guaranteed concussion setting in, I would have screamed. Instead, my voice whimpered out pathetically as the edges of my vision tinged black; I fainted.

No way in hell did I just see a little girl with giant, fucking dog.

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 _Here's another chapter, as promised! And it's not a single paragraph, lmao. Things are heating up for our poor protagonist! But, yay! No more boring modern world and freaky clerks!_

 _Please fave, follow, and review! Thank you!_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Please read!**_ _**For the sake of my sanity, Jaken will refer to Sesshomaru as "Lord Sesshomaru", or "M'Lord". Rewatching the anime(which is honestly just easier to reference from), and he starts off with "Master", then "My Lord", and finally "M'Lord". PLEASE READ THE END AUTHORS NOTES.**_

As I began to regain consciousness, an intense wave of nausea swept through me, causing me to heave. Which then caused a whole bunch of other fucking problems throughout my battered body. I groaned weakly and tried rolling on my side, desperately wanting to clutch my head to find some type of relief. It felt like I had been run over by a truck; the pulsating pain in my head was nearly unbearable, to the point where the pain in my back went unnoticed. I could feel hot tears leaking down my face, and grit my teeth in an attempt to open my eyes. A quick peek did nothing but blind me with what was either bright sunlight or a symptom from the head injury, and another pained groan made its way out of my throat.

 _ **Definitely a concussion**_ , my inner voice whispered as I curled tighter into a ball, forcing my weakened arms up around the back of my skull to ease the pain. Throughout my justified pity party, I vaguely discerned two voices having a conversation off somewhere in the background. If I had bothered to listen closely, I would have realized that said conversation was about me. Inhaling deeply, I did my best to focus on their words.

"-aken, she needs Rin's help!" my brow furrowed, is that a kid? An unclear flashback to my last memory of the little girl by the dog was interrupted when the other started to speak; the high pitched, obnoxious sound caused my whole body to flinch.

"Rin, don't be stupid! Lord Sesshomaru explicitly told _me_ to watch the human!" the annoying voice squawked, causing my head to pulse painfully, another bout of nausea crashing through my gut.

"But Master Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru said to _watch_ her, so wouldn't that mean he wants Master Jaken and Rin to care for her too?" _Yeah kid, please help me_ , the words in my head came out of my mouth as a whine. The voices paused, most likely due to my pitiful whimpers of pain, but continued shortly after.

"D-don't be ridiculous, Rin!" the screeching voice huffed, though quieter this time.

"But if Lord Sesshomaru wanted Rin to leave her alone, why would he tell Master Jaken to gather more water? Why lay her on our extra sleep pelts? Why did Rin have catch more fish? Why-" she was cut off by an indignant, yet unsure sounding squawk. The little voice was sweet and convincing, almost pulling a smile from my pained face; almost. My body twitched again, and the texture of rough fur registered in my distracted mind. "Master Jaken-"

"Fine, silly girl, you take care of her! And do _not_ come to _me_ for assistance!" And with that, the argument ended. Almost immediately small, warm hands were at my face and shoulders, gently rolling me onto my back. A jolt of pain rushed through me, _Yeah, there's that back ache_ , I thought bitterly.

"Here, can you drink?" I felt the edge of a cup at my lips, a small hand at the back of my head lifting it gently, and tried my best to open my mouth. Cool water pooled over my tongue, refreshing and healing as I gulped it down. When the cup was emptied, the girl allowed me to lie back down on the furs. "So you aren't cold," stiff fabric slid over my body, but I was too exhausted to care. From past experience, I knew that I needed to rest so my brain could heal; I'd have to deal with my back later. Eyelids heavy despite being closed, I felt sleep licking at my skin.

"T-thank you," my voice was a murmur, slurred with exhaustion. And then, nothing.

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I drifted in and out of consciousness for who knows how long each time the kind girl would give me sips of water, or the occasional bite of food. I tried to ask where I was, who was she, but my tongue was too fuzzy and thick in my dry mouth to form the words. At one point I had managed to fumble out an incoherent "How long has it been since I fell from the sky,". **_Couldn't have been too long_** , my inner voice spoke, **_you haven't pissed yourself yet_**. A wheezy chuckle left me at the joke before I passed out again, unable to hear the answer to my question.

Fortunately, each time I woke my head hurt less and less, and miraculously my back seemed to be healing too. By the tenth time, I managed to sit up against the tree behind me fully on my own, eyes still shut tight from exertion. The air on my skin was cool and damp, the back of my lids dark, signaling that night had fallen. The crackle of campfire reached my ears, and I hesitantly opened my eyes. At first, everything was blurred around me, and I groaned with nauseous frustration as my lids fluttered back down. My head lolled to one shoulder, loud panting being the only thing that kept me from vomiting the very little I had managed to eat.

A fine film of sweat covered me, and I knew I must smell terrible. _Again, try again_ , I demanded, _I've recovered from worse. I can do this._ Grunting with exertion, I corrected my posture and slowly blinked my eyes back open. "B-better," the mild praise left me like a puff of breath, nearly soundless. The world was still hazy around the edges of my vision, but at least I wasn't dry heaving. My eyes focused on the firelight a few feet away from me, my brain kicking into gear as the heat reached my uncovered feet; I curled my toes, wondering where my shoes and socks had disappeared to. Next I noticed the trees; tall, ancient looking things, lush with leaves, and thick in the darkness. Then slowly, I craned my neck to look upward, seeing a clear ring of sky.

My eyes widened at the sight of stars, countless and brilliant; never had I seen such a clear night sky full of celestial light. *Snap* I jolted, eyes falling back to the trees as the sound of a breaking twig reminded me that I was not alone. I searched along the clearing, and saw the little girl sleeping a short distance to my left. Near her, a sleeping horse- _wait_ , that's _not_ a fucking horse. _What the hell is that?_ I blinked at the sight of creature, unsure of what exactly I was looking at. Two headed and muzzled, each slow, heaving breath puffed up the loose dirt it rested on. I would had shook my head in confused amazement if it weren't for the fact that it felt like it was going to roll off my neck.

 _Okay, not the weirdest thing I've seen recently,_ I suddenly cringed when the image of the demon mail-bitch popped into my head; I shook myself to erase the image and refocus on the horse, ignoring the pain that followed the movement. _Whatever it is can't be that bad, she's practically cuddling with it_. Ignoring the horse-thing in favor of the girl-for the sake of my sanity- I took a closer examination of her appearance. She was tiny, sleep making her look younger than the age I had guessed her to be when I heard her voice. Long, dark hair framed her tan face, little matching hands cupped under her cheek. She was wearing an checkered, orange robe-type dress that gave me distinct Japanese vibes. _Now that I look at her, she does look East Asian,_ the distracted thought left me as I scanned the rest of the clearing.

 _Good Lord, what the hell?_ My face scrunched at the creature resting against a tree to my right. Whistled, snotty snoring not distracting from the very... _toad_ -like appearance. Even smaller than the girl and dressed in brown, the little green creature I guessed to be the owner of the irritating voice slept, hands clutched to a disturbing looking staff. A wary sigh left my chest; _where am I?_

Shakily, I removed the scratchy blanket covering my legs, and made the effort to stand. Surprise overtook my features when the journey up was much faster than anticipated. In fact, I felt pretty okay for nearly passing out a few minutes ago. I leaned into the tree, bracing my palms and back into the rough bark as my head fell forward. While dizzy, the overwhelming need to pee took first place in my list of shit to do. Slowly, very slowly, I held the tree trunk and walked around to shield myself. Blinking up, I gazed into the dark forest, debating on whether or not I should go further out to pee. I decided to at least try.

One step at a time, I steadied myself against a tree before moving on to the next, staying in the warm light of the fire. Soon, I had to be about a cars-length away from the campsite; not too far, but not right behind my makeshift sleep area. Cursing, I struggled with shaky hands to pull down the tight leggings, but popped a decent squat with my back resting against a tree. A moan of relief left my lips as my bursting bladder finally emptied.

I peered into the night before standing to shimmy the excess moisture away, and pulled my leggings and underwear up in a hurry; _l_ _ast thing I need is some creepy monster peeping my bits._ Walking back was much easier than the walk out, and I surprised myself by not needing the tree trunks to stand. _This is... new_ , I chimed mentally, unsure of how to react to my rapid healing. Even the blurred edges of my vision had gone, and my back only felt bruised rather than broken. My eyes were low and my mind distracted with my health as I walked back into the lit clearing, not realizing that I was being watched.

"Well, even if I do feel better, I should rest," my quiet argument was meant for myself, but heard by sharp ears. Before falling back onto the stiff bedding, my eyes widened in elation. _My bag!_ my mind shouted, before I pounced on the familiar duffel. As quietly as I could, I quickly unzipped the back, digging through it to find my phone; I could have cried when my hand hit the screen. Hopes high, I pulled it out and held it up, begging whatever gods there were to give me a signal. A sob threatened to leave my throat as I sagged against the bag: No signal.

Deep in my gut I knew that my phone would be no help, but the rest of my body was in complete denial of the situation. Demon lady? Weird portals? Giant dogs? PFFT, whatever. Not really happening, and even if it is, none of it mattered. _Lalalalalalalala_ , my brain sang stubbornly, imaginary fingers plugging it's imaginary ears. Instead, my mind focused on finding my silk scarf, because Lord knows my hair is the _most_ important thing at the moment. Denial? No, this was _priority_. Grabbing the fabric and flicking it open with a snap, my double braids were soon up and out of the way, safely wrapped away from the elements and demons.

"I'll take inventory tomorrow," I grumbled, finally allowing myself to lie down, holding the large duffel to my chest like a teddy. Took all but two minutes before I sat up abruptly, tearing into my bag to find something to pillow my head. Movement in front of me drew my eyes away from their quest to see... an angel through the trees.

The most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on glided towards the camp on booted feet. Long, bright silver hair drifted in the slight breeze, glinting brilliantly in the starlight. Soft white, voluminous fur lined their shoulder, contrasting with the intimidating chest amour, a long sash at their waist fluttered with each slow step. Luminous, fair skin cast an ethereal glow around them, like the moon itself dressed in white and red, and decided to drop from the heavens to step to on Earth. Even with the distance between us, I could see a pair of almond-shaped, smoldering gold eyes set into a bewitching face; those eyes burned holes into my own with their intensity and focus. Soon, the angel breached the treeline surrounding the clearing, and I had to the chance to really stare.

Up close, his surprisingly youthful face was much more masculine than androgynous, but still hauntingly beautiful. I could tell that he was slightly taller than myself, and I just knew under those silken layers of fabric hid a powerful body. Those incredible eyes lined with long, silver lashes and topped with dark brows, seemed to shine with their own light in the warm firelight; unique slit pupils dilating in their golden irises as our gazes locked. His expression remained impassive as my wide eyes searched his features. Vibrant, peculiar markings on his forehead, high cheekbones, and lids caught my attention, as well as his long, pointed ears. My fingers itched to touch his skin, so smooth it looked air-brushed, I knew it had to feel softer than anything I could imagine. A straight nose sat atop a defined cupids bow, leading to the most gorgeous pair of lips ever. His jaw was firm and squared, and my tongue swiped the back of my teeth at the though of kissing that creamy skin.

As I hungrily scanned his face, I realized that my body remained uncomfortably frozen in the same hunched position over my bag, but the uncompromising sternness of his eyes prevented me from moving. Soon after our staring match, dismissing me with a glance(and finally letting my inappropriately horny ass breathe), the creature walked to the toad thing. I gasped and sat up quickly as he kicked the toad harshly, causing the creature to screech from pained surprise.

"M-m'Lord! You have returned to us!" its tone was reverent as its small body re-positioned itself on the ground to give a deep bow of respect, before slowly standing. "B-but, m'Lord, why did you kick me?" Small, three fingered claws held the staff close as through afraid of another sudden blow. The ethereal Lord(oookay?) stood tall and aloof in the face of his follower(I guess), despite just having literally kicked his ass.

"Jaken," Holy shit, _holy fucking shit._ That voice, that sinful, loin-trembling voice. So deep I felt it in my guts, wanted its children, and I only heard one word. "The human is awake," Again, those brilliant eyes swung my way, and if I weren't already sitting on my shins, that look alone would have had me falling to my knees. Jaken snapped at the neck to look at me, buggy eyes further bulging from their sockets as he realized that I was indeed awake and aware.

"M'Lord! Please forgive me!" I watched with morbid fascination as the toad repeatedly slammed his little face into the dirt, only to be ignored by the bored looking Lord.

"Mm, Master Jaken?" A sleepy voice startled me, and I turned to see Rin rubbing tiredly at her eyes. "What're yo- Lord Sesshomaru!" All signs of sleep left the little girl at the sight of Sesshomaru. The two headed beast near her gently raised its head at the sound of her voice. I worriedly watched as she jumped up to run to him, hoping that the child wouldn't receive the same treatment as the toad. "You are back so soon, my Lord!" She glowed with affection, beaming brightly at the expressionless man.

"Yes," was all he replied, though it seemed to do the trick as Rin let out a joyful giggle before turning her attention to Jaken still face planting on the ground.

"Master Jaken, what are you doing?" she asked sweetly, as though he weren't leaving an imprint of his face in the dirt.

"Rin!" The toad screeched, jumping up from the ground, "Why didn't you _tell_ me the human was awake!" My eyes rolled at his obvious attempt to shift the blame. "Was it not _your_ duty to watch over her?" He stood straight now, back stiff with smug pride, sure he was off the hook. "See m'Lord, it's all Rin's fault." A quick blow to the head from the pale being behind him shut him up quickly. "Sorry, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Oh!" The small girl chirped happily, "You're awake!" I braced myself as she skipped in my direction, hoping to avoid any type of touch; I wasn't sure I could handle anything after the weird shit I had gone through in the past few days. "Wow, you already look all better!" small tan hands reached for my face, and I couldn't help but flinch. "Whoops!" she said sadly, snatching her hand back with a slightly hurt expression.

"Hey! You ungrateful wench! Rin cared for you all day! Show some gratitude!" the toad barked, as though he didn't just try to get Rin in trouble.

"S-sorry," I rush out, not wanting to hurt the one person that made sure my health wasn't neglected. I searched her dark eyes, and gave a gentle smile, "It's just been a rough three days." Saying it out loud didn't make it any less jarring; three days. It had only been _three_ _days_ , and my life was completely flipped upside down; took even _less_ time to get to that point. " _Fuck_ ," I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut and slumping back against the tree.

An offended cry left Jaken at my language, but I couldn't find myself caring. Why was this happening to me? Where even is this place? And who are these people? My hand fluttered up to clutch at my gem for comfort, only for it to meet an empty, moonstone chain. Panicked, I looked down at the necklace, confirming my fear: the jewel was gone. Ugh, I groaned mentally, _it probably popped off somehow when I was falling_. However, at that moment I could feel the jewels comforting warmth surge through me, but another cursory glance showed it was nowhere to be found.

"Oh!" Rin gasped, and I looked up to see her awed expression.

"M'Lord! Is that...?" Jaken was coming closer to me, and confused, I searched for Sesshomaru's face. His eyes were lit with curiosity, the aloof expression he had worn the entire time suddenly gone.

"What are you lookin' at?" I grunted, a bit put out with being stared at, barely noticing the pink cast on their faces and reflecting in their eyes. My gaze wandered back down, and a terrified gasp left my lips. A perfect pink circle of light shined through the skin of my chest, illuminating my veins and bones with its soft glow. "What the **fuck**!?" I shrieked, I couldn't help it. Too much had happened to me in such a small amount of time, and denial dam finally cracked. "What the **_hell_ **is going on?" I jumped up and tore at my chest, desperately trying to get the orb out.

"Oh no! Lord Sesshomaru, she's going to hurt herself!" Rin's panicked voice barely registered with me as horrified fear filled my body.

I ran.

I ran from the strangers, from the campsite, and fled into the darkened forest. Not exactly a smart decision, but at that moment all I could feel was the sudden need to escape. My powerful legs pumped, jumping over roots and fallen plant life, bare feet shredding and seemingly healing with every leap. I could not feel the pain in my feet, nor the sting as leaves sliced at my skin. I ran quickly, not noticing the glowing pink surging it's way through my veins, making me a pink flash of light in the night. Not realizing that the speed I was going was not at all natural. I kept running into through the dark, not stopping until my lungs began to burn and my skin itched.

Finally, my fear-driven bolt ended with me collapsing on my back in a flower filled meadow. The pastel colors of sunrise bled into the deep blue of night, chasing the stars back into the dark. My eyes remained wide with shock as I gasped for air, finally feeling the fatigue weigh down my limbs like a coat of wax. I began to tremble as fat Ghibli tears poured down my cheeks, a pained wail leaving my throat. I cried as the sun rose, cried as butterflies surrounded me to drink my salty tears and sweat, and didn't stop until my throat went hoarse. _**What are you doing**_ , my inner voice scolded, **_you seriously just left people that were helping you. You literally have no clue where you are, and now you never will!_** Another round of tears threatened to spill over at the mental reprimand.

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" my voice cracked. "I have no idea what happened to me, no idea where the fuck I am, and I wake up from a concussion to a toad thing, a two headed _monster_ , a little girl, and some sort of elf lord?" a bitter scoff left my pained throat, "And let's not forget that I crashed into and then fell off a **GIANT, FUCKING DOG!** " my voice rose steadily before I screamed, hands clenching in fists and upper body rising, causing the butterflies to scatter. Tired, I fell back, eyes still leaking tears, but at least my emotions were in check.

I started to chuckle, and the chuckle soon turned into belly laughter. "I-I'm _fucking_ crazy!" I whined weakly before another wave of manic laughter forced itself past my lips, "That's it! I've lost my mind, or this is all some weird fucking dream." It had to be a dream. ** _It's not a dream_** , that bitch of an inner voice crooned, **_Go back to the camp, to that gorgeous angel of a man. He'll heal you right up_** , the voice purred, and I scoffed weakly. "I might be crazy, but I don't have a fucking death wish." I gazed blearily at the sky, remembering the small details of the pale creature in the clearing.

Sharp fangs peeking from those lovely lips as he spoke. A hand tipped with sharp claws as it balled into a fist to punch the toad. The sword at his hip, the armor, the air of deathly elegance; I'm no fool, I know danger when I see it. And that man, that _being_ , was not some sweet-faced angel I could seduce into caring for me. _No, if I_ do _go back_ , I thought determinedly, _it's only to get my things_.

Mentally listing the things I knew where in the bag, I decided to head back, I had too many items that could help me survive until I found a way home. I couldn't be too far, I argued, _I mean, how many miles could a magical portal take me?_ I did my best to sit, only to stop on my elbows as my body trembled like a leaf. "Shit," I moaned in frustration, "I-I can't even get up," my arms gave out, and I landed with a heavy *thump*. My lids fluttered shut, heavy with fatigue, and despite doing my best to fight the sleep threatening to overtake my mind, I could feel myself nodding off.

SMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSM

It was starting to become a bit tedious, the whole "falling unconscious" thing. Even more so when I'd wake and find myself in a situation I had no desire to be in. Irritation filled me as I found myself in one of those situations, with my body belly down, curved along some type of saddle; the slow swaying of a beast telling me that I was moving.

"Do you think she's okay, Master Jaken?" A quiet voice chirped near me, trying its best to be a whisper. An indignant sniff came soon after.

"Why would _I_ care, Rin? Would have been better off leaving her in that field, if you ask me." _That ugly, little shit_ , a growl threatened to leave my chest.

"Master Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't like it if he heard you say that," she chided the toad gently, causing said toad to squeak in an undignified way. "remember, he told Master Jaken and Rin to bring her back to camp." her voice was matter of fact but light.

"Well, I don't have to like _everything_ Lord Sesshomaru commands, do I now, Rin?" he grumbled, and then shortly after let out a pained shout.

"Oh, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin chirpped, giving a quiet noise of concern to the fallen toad whining something about rocks.

My ears perked at the name, wondering why he ordered his little crew to bring me back, and why he bothered to meet them rather than waiting. A small thread of hormonal hope filled me, before my whole soul drooped like a flower; oh yeah, the chest thing. I couldn't help the sigh I let out, this Sesshomaru dude was most likely planning on tearing that gem outta my chest, whatever it was, and here I am planning out wedding. _Priorities, Mika, find them_.

I laid prone and silent for the remainder of the journey, puzzled slightly at the amount of time it was taking to get back to camp. _I couldn't have been running for this long, even if I were at my top speed the whole time._ Mentally shrugging, and realizing that that would have to be my response to everything coming my way, I let it go. There were more important things I had to worry about:

First, how to avoid getting murdered by the current man of my dreams.

Second, figure out where the fuck I am.

Third, figure out how to get home.

Fourth, find an exorcist for that _fucking_ mail-clerk bitch.

That shouldn't be too difficult, right? Another heavy sigh left me, this time catching the attention of Rin.

"You're awake!" she burst cheerfully, "Rin was so worried that you were really hurt this time!"

Well, here we go.

SMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSMSM

 ** _Alright y'all, Sess is finally here. If you want to know how I see him, just look up Atsushi Sakurai from Buck-Tick when he was young and had looong dark hair(watch their "Kiss Me Goodbye" performance), and imagine him with Sesshomaru's coloring. Everything from his height, to his perfect lips are what I envision in Sesshomaru. The only difference is that Sess is more muscular in canon. Geez, those men are gorgeous._**

 _ **Also, re-listened to the taped audio of Sesshomaru confessing to Rin when she get older, and OMFG. I could not stop squealing, he's so fucking romantic! And the fact that Rumiko approved of it? Goodness.**_

 ** _Feel a bit guilty for stealing Rin's future man, but I'm definitely using the fact that Sesshomaru in love turns our stoic demon bad boy into a damn poet to my advantage._**

 ** _Seriously, listen to it. The most poetic, romantic confession I've ever heard. He's so kind and patient, and I lost my shit listening to it._**

 ** _I'll make sure Rin has a happy ending in this story, though, so don't feel too bad for her._**


End file.
